Google Play Strict Compliance Review: Overseas Exchanges Must Complete Local Financial Registration to Be Listed

【Crypto World】South Korea’s financial intelligence agency recently announced an important policy adjustment. Starting from January 28, overseas cryptocurrency exchanges and wallet applications that have not completed registration with the local financial authorities for virtual asset service providers will be unable to list on Google Play Korea. This means that institutions including some leading exchanges and large platforms may face listing difficulties.

The registration process itself sets quite high thresholds. Applicants must establish a comprehensive Anti-Money Laundering (AML) system and obtain Information Security Management System (ISMS) certification issued by the Korea Internet & Security Agency. The implementation time for these two requirements is not short, which explains why many large exchanges are expected to be unable to complete registration before the policy takes effect.

Google’s enforcement mechanism is also very clear. Developers must provide an official document proof of “registration acceptance completed” when uploading applications. Once an application does not meet policy standards, it will be blocked in Korea starting from January 28 — new users will be unable to install, and existing users will gradually face application expiration due to inability to receive updates.

It is worth noting that this is not an isolated move by Google. Several countries and regions including the United States, the European Union, and Japan have also implemented similar policy frameworks, with the basic principle being the same: only those who have officially completed registration with local financial authorities are allowed to submit applications on Google Play. This reflects a higher global demand for compliance among cryptocurrency platforms.